Welcome to the first edition of Feast! This is a magazine for people who love food and everything connected to it. But it’s aimed at those who don’t take themselves too seriously. The kind who enjoy a great cheeseburger or a plate of pierogies as much as duck confit and morels; who entertain in jeans, not jackets; who happily dine fine or at the kitchen table. Think Martha Stewart meets Jon Stewart.
What makes this different from other food magazines is that everything about this publication is homegrown. Feast! is a celebration of all things local. And we’ve got plenty to boast about, from our award-winning restaurants and chef celebrities to fabulous products that are grazed, raised and made in Northeast Ohio. The goal is to highlight all the good things going on in our food community. And we plan to do it with energy, enthusiasm and a little attitude twice a year.
We aim to help you eat well by drawing on the wealth of talent and resources available in our own regional back yard. We’ll talk about eating out and eating in: where to find the best of everything from beef to Bordeaux, tomatoes to truffles. We’ll explore what’s hot, what’s fresh, and what’s deliciously interesting, serving it up with plenty of recipes for those inclined to take meals into their own hands.
Feast! began as an idea that led to a breakfast conversation at Ruthie and Moe’s Diner. Now it’s a beautiful, 48-page reality, and for me that’s the equivalent of winning an Oscar, which means I have to give the speech. Sort of. Only without the gown, the cameras or the statue clasped in my trembling, grateful hands. What I mean is that this is the moment for me to thank everyone who has been a part of creating Feast! And like the stars, I run the risk of being boring if I recite the long list of people who deserve recognition.
So I’ll keep it short and sweet. Read the Great Lakes Publishing masthead, because big thanks go to those named there. Plus extra special gratitude for their efforts to publisher Frank Bird II, editor Steve Gleydura and art director Gary Sluzewski. Two forks up to food stylist Julia McComb and writer Marilou Suszko, who did double duty as her assistant, and my husband, photographer Barney Taxel, who makes us all look good. We’re excited about what we’ve achieved together and hope you will be too.
